Ford Reviews & Ratings

2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch Review

By William C Montgomery
April 2, 2008 - 35,598 Views

The full-size SUV, species Gigantus Utilitas Amnericanus, stands like a mighty and proud American Bison. The even-toed ungulate’s wet nose nervously sniffs the threatening winds of change that blows across the prairie and buffets its coarse brown mane. For now, the herd stands proud and strong in suburban habitats. But today the mighty beast catches the scent of three long rifle-wielding predators: Panic, Price and Patriotism. Squarely in their sights stands the Ford Expedition King Ranch Edition.

2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch Review continued »

2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 150 comments

2008 Ford Mustang GT Bullitt Review

By Mike Solowiow
March 12, 2008 - 55,263 Views

Special edition vehicles should be exactly that. They should offer something exceptional enough to tempt you to dig deeper in your pocket and drive away in a vehicle that's, well, special. “Investment” and historical issues aside, the Mustang Shelby GT didn’t provide a look and feel that justified the massive amount of extra coin demanded by dealers. By the same token, The Bullitt Mustang succeeds. It’s truly a unique set of wheels.

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2008 Ford Mustang GT Bullitt rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 65 comments

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid Review

By P.J. McCombs
February 8, 2008 - 63,802 Views

Ford’s marketers often appear to live in a sort of surrealist parallel universe. How else to explain their enlistment of Kermit, the self-effacing, hand-operated amphibian, to pitch the Ford Escape Hybrid? This SUV has the makings of a game-changing, ass-kicking product. It’s a genuine full hybrid, with components licensed from Toyota.  It’s sized, styled and priced to the mainstream’s liking. Yet, saleswise, the hybrid Escape is croaking. Methinks Ford’s spokesfrog hasn’t given the Escape Hybrid the marketing momentum it deserves.

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid Review continued »

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 48 comments

2008 Ford Ranger Review

By Sajeev Mehta
February 1, 2008 - 99,251 Views Thanks to John Steinbeck and Nat King Cole, Route 66 is an American icon. But Highway 77 in South Texas gives "kicks" of the international kind. As this highway winds down Mexico way, we find neglected and discarded compact trucks in pairs, towing their belittled brothers to a new life south of the Border.  And while America's insatiable demand for new product continues apace, Highway 77 speaks to a silent majority who favors cheaper and smaller vehicles.  It's the spiritual home of the Ford Ranger.

2008 Ford Ranger Review continued »

2008 Ford Ranger rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 92 comments

2008 Ford Mondeo Ghia Review

By Martin Schwoerer
January 25, 2008 - 108,430 Views

Before emailing a rave review of the new Ford Mondeo, I wanted to understand why an automaker with such great products in the Eurozone has such a mediocre reputation. Posing as a potential purchaser, I phoned to make an appointment for a test drive. Employee of Dealership A: "We have one Mondeo you could try out, but we are booked for the next ten days, I think." Sales guy at Dealership B: "Sorry, I just started here six months ago, the guy in charge is on sick leave.” His stand-in? On vacation. “Please call again in a week or so.” See? It’s NOT all about the product. But I digress…

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2008 Ford Mondeo Ghia rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 97 comments

Ford F-150 XL MidBox Review

By Sajeev Mehta
January 23, 2008 - 58,129 Views

I suspect that a large number of readers are dismayed by America’s love for the full-size pickup truck. It may be an inconvenient truth about cars, but there are still plenty of working people who love the gas-guzzling genre with a passion undimmed by concerns about global warming and America’s [entirely theoretical] energy independence. Drilling down one of Houston’s warehouse districts, the Ford F150 XL MidBox got more thumbs-up than a popular gladiator bleeding on the Coliseum floor. Admit it: other than all that PC stuff, what’s not to like about a workhorse with steel wheels and rubber floors?

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Ford F-150 XL MidBox rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 37 comments

Ford Taurus X Review

By P.J. McCombs
December 21, 2007 - 90,669 Views

Ford likes SUVs so much that they build five platforms for ‘em, many of which fight amongst themselves for sales in overlapping segments. Yet the most competitive, the most relevant of Ford’s sport-utilities is also the one no one— not even Ford marketing— seems to know exists: the Taurus X, née Freestyle. Question: if a terrific CUV falls in the sales charts and nobody in Dearborn notices, does it exist? 

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Ford Taurus X rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 69 comments

Ford Mustang Shelby GT Review

By P.J. McCombs
November 26, 2007 - 60,322 Views

As automakers continue their relentless pursuit of refinement, there’s precious little “magic” to be had behind the wheel of a new car. Sit down, and you instantly know where everything is and how to operate it. Start it up and drive and few sensations are overly vivid. In short, most new cars are about as surprising as a toaster. Ford’s Mustang Shelby GT is the un-toaster. I recently braved the perils of California’s Mojave Desert (e.g. bad road food) to sample the Shelby at the Willow Springs Raceway. The experience was not bland. On the contrary, it was, erm… memorable.

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Ford Mustang Shelby GT rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 61 comments

Ford Focus Review

By Robert Farago
October 18, 2007 - 102,555 Views

Pop the hood of the new Ford Focus and you'll see an infestation of duct tape worms. Every wire is wrapped in black duct tape. And the thing is, Ford didn't even try to hide it. There's no flash-casted plastic cover to hide the Focus' handmade electrical insulation. I mean, how much would that have cost FoMoCo? Five bucks? What's more, the duct tape I discovered in the economy car's engine bay was already unfurling. That's worrying. But it's nowhere near as disquieting as the overarching Scrooge You cynicism informing every nut, bolt and rock hard panel of this po-faced makeover. What’s worse, the new Ford Focus looks atrocious.

Ford Focus Review continued »

Ford Focus rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 149 comments

Ford Taurus Limited Review

By Sajeev Mehta
July 18, 2007 - 70,627 Views

Ford is hawking their “new” Taurus (née Five Hundred) as America's safest full-size sedan. This tells us two things. First, the Ford division famous for producing the world’s safest cars (Volvo) is as good as gone. Second, The Blue Oval Boyz replaced their alleged allegiance to Bold Moves with a profound proclamation of Risk Aversion. Whether or not either decision is correct is a moot point; FoMoCo doesn't have the time nor the money to not to sell Volvo or develop edgy new automobiles. So is Ford’s safe car a safe bet? As the Afrikaners say, Ja nee.

Ford Taurus Limited Review continued »

Ford Taurus Limited rating summary and performance review

Posted in Ford | Car Reviews | 80 comments